


supernova

by izukillme



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Canon Compliant, M/M, Snapshots, and it turned into a fucking fanfic, i wrote this over a discord dm, it was supposed to be an essay on how kise started respecting kagami
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:07:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25461406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/izukillme/pseuds/izukillme
Summary: Over the course of the year, Kagami wins more than just a bunch of basketball games.
Relationships: Kagami Taiga/Kise Ryouta
Comments: 6
Kudos: 45





	supernova

**Author's Note:**

> this is rlly rambly and patchy, gomeeeen!! tfw your ship essay turns into a fanfic over DMs lmao. sebastian was the one who prompted me into this and the one who puts up with all my kurobasu shitnanigans so everyone say a big thank you to him please

It starts with jealousy. 

Kise isn’t impressed at first when he goes to see Kuroko’s new light. Kagami's loud, rude and crass… why does Kuroko like him more than Kise? Why does Kuroko _respect_ him more than Kise? It’s baffling, especially when Kagami isn’t even that good at basketball - he’s miles behind Kise’s old teammates. But there's an undeniable spark in Kagami's eyes, something... alluring, and Kise refuses to admit to the strange attraction he feels towards the America-returnee.

* * *

At the practice match, Kagami is a wildfire. He's nowhere near Kise's level, but he could very well singe his feet. Kise's impressed despite himself - and when he loses, he understands just why Kuroko respects Kagami over him.

Kagami knows his limits the way Kise doesn't. And Kagami _loves_ basketball the way Kise had forgotten how to love it. That's what's in his eyes, that electric love for the game. Kise misses it like you miss something you had a long time ago, aching so hard for a lost piece of yourself.

It's half the reason he plays against those guys. Playing on the same side as Kagami, it feels _perfect_. Kise fits with Kagami like a puzzle piece - it's confusing how their radically different play styles complete each other so well. Where Kagami lacks in form, Kise makes up, and where Kise lacks in pure power Kagami's got the edge.

Kise doesn't notice when he leaves for home that his eyes were following Kagami, and not Kuroko, all along.

* * *

After that day, there is some insatiable hunger within Kise. He feels incomplete; the only thing that can come remotely close to filling it is playing basketball. But even there, there is something lacking, and he doesn't know what.

He knows full well what, and it starts with a K.

So Kise plays and plays and plays. He pushes, honing the weapon of his style and skill as sharply as he can. 

_I want to play with you again._

* * *

He plays Aominecchi, and it _hurts_. Kise used to love Aomine's fluid play style and his effortlessness, but what he loved most of all was the smile Aominecchi wore while playing. It made him feel like he could love something that much too. 

_I have to stop looking up to you, Aominecchi,_ he thinks, his eyes flicking to the stands where Kagami's red gaze is locked furiously on him and Aomine. There's fire in those eyes, a silent urging for Kise to push through.

Involuntarily, it comes to him. _I found someone else to be my guiding light._

Kaijō loses the match, and the distance between Kise and Aomine increases. But Kise can't wallow in his sadness too long, because he knows by the way Kagami's eyes burn that he won't just fight Aomine for Seirin.

He will fight him for _Kise_.

* * *

Aomine is the one who loses, this time. Kise relishes the look of utter surprise on his face as Kagami passes him and does not miss the red eyes that connect with his own brown gaze for a split second before delving straight back into the game. Tōō's defeat resounds in the stadium like an echo of a fallen great, and as Kise cheers for the winning team he's sure his voice is the loudest there.

After the game, Kagami comes to him. Kise doesn't say anything and waits for him to speak.

"I..." Kagami starts awkwardly. "Just so you know... just 'cause I did that half for you... it doesn't mean-"

"I know." Kise says with a smile. "I wouldn't want you to pull any punches."

Kagami nods. "Good. Just so you know." 

"Just so I know," Kise repeats, and then before he can think he is taking Kagami's hand and pressing a kiss to the knuckles. Kagami's face flames as red as his hair; Kise gives his most charming smile and bounds off as quickly as he can to hide how flustered he is.

* * *

Against Fukuda Sōgō, Kise feels like he's about to die. That's when Kuroko screams at him that he believes... and Kagami's eyes glint in silent encouragement.

It's all the fire Kise needs. He burns holes into Haizaki, thinking furiously _I'll show you who's better, I'll show you who deserves to play Kagamicchi._

As he walks off the court, his eyes catch Kagami’s, and he nods with a small smile.

_You guys had better win against Yōsen._

The pure conviction on Kagami’s face tells Kise enough.

_Kagamicchi… you won’t lose._

* * *

The look in Kagami's eyes as he desperately searches for power to use against Murasakibara breaks Kise. He wants to gather him in his arms, hold him and tell him it's okay. But he can't do that - 

No, more, that's not what Kagami _needs_. Kise knows Kagami and he knows how best to help.

"Here-" he says, picking up the ball, then adopts an expression of surprise. "Sorry, thought I knew you."

Kagami looks confused. "Haah?"

"I don't know any cowards who rely on anything but what they have in the moment to win a game," Kise says meaningfully, tossing the ball to Murasakibara. "I suppose I'll be playing Murasakibaracchi in the semis, huh?"

"Don't disturb me in a game," says Murasakibara, as prickly as ever. Kise smiles, not allowing it to reach his eyes, and draws back gracefully. 

_I've done what I can. As Midorimacchi says... I'll leave the rest to fate. No... to Kagamicchi._

And exactly as he'd thought, Kagami picks himself back up. He starts to play with the same raw and beautiful form that had first stunned Kise, and Seirin blitzes straight past Yōsen and into the semis with Kaijō.

* * *

Kise had been wrong about Kuroko. The smaller _does_ respect him; enough to even consider him a true rival. 

_In more ways than one,_ Kise thinks as he looks at Kagami. _I'll fight you, Kurokocchi. I'll be your rival in the court... and for Kagamicchi._

The game passes in a flash. Kise expends every last bit of power he has, but Kagami and Kuroko are just too good together. But looking at the brotherly camaraderie between them, he can barely begrudge it.

 _If we couldn't fight Akashicchi... you guys deserve to,_ he thinks later that night, all cried out for his senpais. _I wouldn't want us to lose to anyone else._

* * *

The final game is... something. Kise is an inch away from jumping onto the court and strangling Akashi - he doesn't care about the manslaughter charges or whatever the hell he'll face. He'll take it, if he can get revenge on the person that made his Kagami look so empty and broken.

He opens his mouth, ready to stand up and yell at Seirin, when Ogiwara, Kuroko's friend, bursts out with a “Don’t give up!” Aomine goes next without missing a beat, yelling at Kagami as if he owns him - Kise almost hates him in that minute. But next is his turn, and he screams out, "I can say the same goes for us! Don't you dare lose, Seirin!"

_Don't you dare lose, Kagamicchi!_

Kagami seems to understand, because his eyes are locked on Kise and Kise alone even as the rest of the stadium starts to cheer. The world melts away and for a moment it's just the two of them, staring at each other. 

Kise nods, small tears gathering in his eyes. _Win, because I know you can._

Kagami nods back.

* * *

This time, Kise is the one that goes to Kagami. Words don't pass between them - but their breathing is in sync, and they step forward together, interlacing hands calloused by basketball.

"What do you want as a prize?" Kise whispers, bringing his face close. Kagami smells like sweat and rubber and basketball. It's the best smell in the world. 

Kagami doesn't answer. Instead, he closes the short distance between their mouths.

It's the worst - best - kiss Kise's ever had.

* * *

Kagami's like a star. He's always been on Kise's horizon, his bright light pulsing like a beacon in the distance that Kise had had to find by fumbling through the darkness. But when he does finally locate Kagami, that light expands to fill his world like a never-ending supernova, little bursts of fire constantly erupting around his feet to light his path as he runs into his arms.

_"I found you."_

**Author's Note:**

> please leave me a comment if you enjoyed~


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